


Problems

by Semi_problematic



Category: Eyewitness (US TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2017-03-21
Packaged: 2018-10-08 17:33:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10392165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Semi_problematic/pseuds/Semi_problematic
Summary: Philip and Lukas are college roommates and best friends. They spend all their time together until Philip leaves.. and stays gone. Once Philip comes home Lukas can sense things changing and Philip wasn't the only one changing.





	

Philip and Lukas had been roommates for nearly three years. It was perfect. Philip always cleaned and Lukas always bought what they needed. (Even when Philip didn't approve, which he never did, but Philip was his best friend so of course he'll buy Philip everything he needs.) They stay up late and watch movies. They help each other study. Philip helped Lukas keep organized and Lukas drives Philip anywhere he needs to go. They could reach each other like the back of a book.

Until they couldn't. 

Philip had been off for almost a month and it all started with a phone call. 

Then Philip stopped wanting to go out to dinner. 

Then he didn't want to marathon Netflix.

Then he didn't want rides to class.

Then he couldn't focus studying with Lukas so he'd leave.

Then Philip left. And Philip stayed gone. He left Lukas to get unorganized and messy. He left Lukas without a study partner. He left a hole in Lukas, a big ugly hole that couldn't be filled with anything else. Not friends. Not parties. Nothing. 

Philip was away for three weeks. Most of his things were packed and taken with him but he didn't really have anything in their dorm to begin with. Philip struggled with money, that's why Lukas would help him so much, Lukas just figured Philip didn't want to get used to having a place to settle down. It was more of a home. (After all Lukas was his best friend and he was there. What else could Philip need?)

The money thing began to eat away at Lukas. The thought of Philip being kicked out terrified him. The thought of Philip not telling him anything made him feel sick. Philip had never been open, really, but Lukas figured if he was about to get kicked out of school and fuck up Lukas' entire life that Philip would have the decency to tell him. (They were best friends, it's like law.) 

Philip was also breaking another friendship law. Completely ignoring all of Lukas' texts and calls. He'd literally sent over a hundred texts and Philip hadn't replied. 

No texts.

No calls.

None of Philips things are here. 

Nothing.

Until the fourth week hit and Philip came back. Lukas hated to admit it but he didn't recognize Philip at first. His hair had grown a bit more than he'd normally allow and his face was sunken in paired with dark circles under his eyes and an even smaller body than before he had left. (Philip had always been tiny, Lukas loved it. He could put his arm around Philip and he wouldn't need to bend down like he had to with girls.) 

"Hey.." Lukas muttered, looking down at the smaller boy. "I was so worried, man, you'd been gone for so long and you weren't replying to me. What's up?" 

Philip just mumbled a small hello and stepped inside with his bags.

"Um.. so.. how have you been?" Lukas asked, shutting the door, turning around and leaning against it.

Philip set his bags on the bed, glancing at Lukas for a few seconds. "I've been better, you know?" 

Lukas nodded. "Well.. whatever happened, I'm glad you're bac-"

"My mom died." Philip whispered, unzipping a bag, sifting through it, pulling out a sheet.

Lukas froze, his eyes widening. "Philip.. I'm-"

"Don't say sorry. It's fine. She died and we had a funeral and now I've just.. been empty, but I'm fine, it's fine." Philip shook his head, seemingly scolding himself for telling Lukas how he felt.

Lukas rubbed the back of his neck, walking up to Philip, rubbing his lower back, ignoring the urge to wrap his arms around him. (Friends want to hug their friends, it's normal.) "Well, I lost my mom.. so.. if you need something I'm here."

Philip pushed back into Lukas' touch, letting out a sigh. "Okay, Lukas.. thanks." Philip fell back into silence for the most part. He unpacked. Hung his posters. Put his stuff in the closet. Made his bed. Then he just laid down and slept. 

That continued for a few days. Sleeping. Eating. Showering. Repeat. Philip wasn't putting much of an effort into school work and he didn't want to go out to eat anymore. They just had Ramen every night. Yes, they, because Lukas definitely wasn't going to leave his best friend alone, especially when he's sad.

After four days of Philip not speaking and barely existing Lukas started to talk to him. Told him about motocross and about how horrible his teachers were and about how much he hated all the papers he had to write. Philip never talked back but he did roll over and look at Lukas, which made Lukas smile because it meant they were getting somewhere. 

By the time a week hit Philip had decided to watch movies with Lukas. Philip would talk every once in a while and sometimes Lukas could swear he saw Philip smile. Philip was also eating more, he wouldn't get his own food but when Lukas would get something he would eat part of it.

Two weeks after Philip came back he was seemingly normal. He would ear full meals now and he'd sit up and watch movies and he'd work on his class work. But there still was something that was off. Philip wasn't sleeping. Lukas had noticed a few times, woken up to Philip crying or shifting around in his bed, but he didn't know how bad it was until he saw Philip one morning with the rings below his eyes darker.

So Lukas made it a priority, as best friend, to make shuffle Philip slept better. How hard could it be? He already got Philip eating and going to class and watching TV again. Sleep couldn't be that hard.

Turns out, it was really hard. Lukas tried talking Philip to sleep.

Nothing.

Lukas tried one of those sound machines you see on comedy shows.

Nothing.

Lukas tried keeping the TV on at night.

Nothing.

Lukas tried keeping the room warmer.

Nothing.

And colder.

Still nothing.

No matter what he tried Philip would still cry at night or have nightmares and wake up with bags worse than the day before. Lukas was getting desperate, so, logically, he turned to Google. It turns out there's a lot of reasons to lose sleep.

Sleeping in too late in the morning. (Philip would never. He always has alarms set.)

Another person in your room snores. (That definitely can't be it. Lukas doesn't snore.)

A messy room. (Impossible, Philip would strangle Lukas if he made it dirty.)

Lukas searched and searched and he couldn't find anything that he could do to help Philip. He read article after article after article and still nothing. He hated it, knowing he couldn't figure out how to help Philip. 

Lukas dropped his phone on his chest, sighing, wracking his brain for any information on how to help Philip. The boys mom just died, so of course he's depressed, Lukas was depressed for years after his mom died. He couldn't sleep good either unless he had his dog or one of his moms shirts with him.

Lukas gasped, sitting up, opening Google once more on his phone.

Does cuddling help depression?

He read one article before shutting his phone off. He had a plan. And it would work.

Later that night after they had finished watching Criminal Minds they got ready for bed. Lukas changed clothes while Philip curled up under his mound of blankets. 

"Goodnight, Lukas." Philip mumbled, rolling onto his side, hiding his face in a pillow.

Lukas glanced over at him, taking a deep breath. It's now or never. He climbed into Philips bed, slipping under the covers, wrapping his arms around Philip. "Goodnight."

Philip gasped, turning around. "Lukas.. what are you doing?"

Lukas sat up on an elbow, rubbing Philips side. "I read somewhere that cuddling helps with depression.. and I was depressed when my mom died.. so I thought..." 

Philip watched him for a few seconds before rolling back onto his side, pulling Lukas' arm further around him. "Thank you." 

Lukas smiled, pressing a kiss to Philips shoulder. "Goodnight." 

That night Philip slept perfectly. No rolling around. No crying. No nightmares. And Lukas slept pretty good too. Their problem was fixed.

Until Lukas realized he had another problem. Once Philip got out of bed, Lukas got on his phone, opening Google.

How do you know you're gay?


End file.
